"Achalasia is a disorder of the esophagus that makes it hard for foods and liquids to pass into the stomach," according to the UCSF Gastrointestinal Surgery website. "The Heller myotomy is essentially an esophagomyotomy, the cutting of the esophageal sphincter muscle, performed laparoscopically."

St. Cyr said that when she got to Stanford on Friday there was still confusion among the staff on whether or not she would undergo surgery that day.

"Stanford was super confused because of how fast everything was moving," she said. "They were telling me not to come down there because they didn't understand how I had a pre-op appointment when I hadn't even seen the doctor before."

She went to her appointment anyway, arriving at 4:30 a.m., checking in at 5 a.m., and going back for surgery at 6 a.m. She had to stay in the hospital for six days, she said, despite one of the advantages listed on the UCSF website for the surgery being a one- to two-day hospital stay.

St. Cyr said she still isn't sure how the surgery will be paid for, and that it depends on what is worked out between California Health and Wellness and Stanford. She added that the only thing she was worried about was getting the surgery so she could regain her health.

"I was still getting calls from Stanford and California Health and Wellness trying to do last-minute paperwork," St. Cyr said. "When I got released I had to pay for my medication, which was over $100, but I'm not sure exactly how that worked with the insurance. I just know that the doctor helped me and I got the operation."

She said she hopes that others learn from her story and fight for their health instead of sitting back passively and letting whatever happens happen.

"Anybody with this (plan) as their insurance just needs to stay on top of them and cause a fuss, raise hell to get whatever you need done," she said. "Honestly, if I hadn't come and talked to (The Post) I don't think I would have ever even had this operation, I really don't."

Part of St. Cyr's fight was getting in contact with Assemblyman Dan Logue and explaining her situation to him, she said. "I am probably going to call him back (Friday) and see what he has to say and speed him up on what happened," she said. "I still want people to know, because this is ridiculous that I have had to do all of this the whole time I was this sick."

In December, after speaking with The Post, she began to lose weight at about two pounds a week, and weighed only 100 pounds when she had surgery. She said she now has gained five pounds and is back up to 105.

"I am on a full clear liquid diet, so I can do pudding and popsicles and stuff like that," but she said it will probably be closer to four to six weeks before she can eat a heavier diet that includes meat.

"I never thought pudding would taste so good in my entire life," she said.

Now that she has had her surgery there will be a few minor adjustments to the way she can live her life, compared to other individuals.

"The only thing I will have to deal with is, (unlike) regular people (whose) esophagus is kind of like a cap to keep all of the stomach acids in the stomach, mine isn't going to have a cap on it, so (the acid) is going to still come up," she said.

"I have one of those wedge pillows that I got from the pharmacy," she said. "It is basically like a hospital bed or a recliner chair, you are propped up so you don't aspirate at night."

Finally, St. Cyr said she wanted to thank Meeho's for the fundraiser they set up for her. She said her husband's cousin works there and set it up without her knowledge.

"I think it was $150, just a donation for gas and hospital bills and whatever we needed it for," she said. "She didn't even ask me if she could do it because she knew I would have told her no, but she did it anyway."

Tiffany has a post-op appointment scheduled at Stanford on Jan. 17 and will find out then if she will need to continue to check in with Dr. Merritt, or if she can get regular checkups with her local GI doctor, Dr. Hack.

***

Nicole can be reached at ngerspacher@paradisepost.com. Connect with her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nbgerspacher.